Measles cases rise to 23 in Kansas, may be linked to large multistate outbreak

[Donger]

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/26/healt...eak/index.html

Twenty-three measles cases have been reported in Kansas, and the state health department said they could be linked to an ongoing outbreak that has infected at least 379 people across Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

“The confirmed cases in Kansas have a possible link to the outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. While genetic sequencing of the first Kansas case reported is consistent with an epidemiological link to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the source of exposure is still unknown,” Jill Bronaugh, communications director for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said in an email Wednesday.

Children account for 21 of the Kansas cases, and 20 of the cases are in people who are unvaccinated.

The Kansas measles cases are concentrated in the southwestern part of the state and have spread to six counties.

Most of the public school districts in these counties have vaccination rates that are well below the recommended 95% threshold set by the Department of Health and Human Services to stop spread of the virus. Hugoton Public Schools in Stevens County, which accounts for more than a quarter of the cases, had an 83% vaccination rate among kindergartners last school year, according to data from the state health department. And the Sublette Unified School District in Haskell County had a vaccination rate of just 44%.

Statewide, 90.4% of incoming kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year had received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. Only 15 other states had lower coverage rates.

Religious exemptions for vaccinations have risen in Kansas over the past decade. Last week, the state House of Representatives passed a bill including language that would expand such exemptions. The measure, which also aims to increase child care availability and capacity, is now being debated in a state Senate committee.

“The provision in HB2294 is simply bad public health policy and Kansas children will be harmed by it,” Dr. Brandon Kennedy, chair of the Immunize Kansas Coalition, said in a statement last week.

As part of the wider measles outbreak, Texas has reported 327 cases as of Tuesday, and New Mexico reported 43 cases. Oklahoma has reported nine cases: seven confirmed and two probable.
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Related article Tracking measles cases in the United States

Forty-two people have been hospitalized and one death reported, a school-age child who was not vaccinated and had no underlying conditions. Health officials in New Mexico are also investigating the cause of death of an unvaccinated person who tested positive for measles.

Most of the cases in Texas are in Gaines County, where the outbreak was first identified. In New Mexico, most are in Lea County, which borders Gaines County.

Officials say the virus’ spread into additional counties is a problem.

“We’re continuing to see more counties with one case popping up. … It’s concerning every time we add additional counties with cases,” said Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health in Texas. “It indicates that people are either traveling through Gaines County and picking it up, or we’re having people infected with measles traveling outside the county.”

Tuesday’s update from the Oklahoma State Department of Health indicates links with the Texas and New Mexico cases.

“All cases are linked through exposures to household or extended family; and initial cases reported exposure to the measles outbreak in West Texas and New Mexico. At this time, no cases have resulted from exposure to public settings,” the agency said.

Although most of the cases in the outbreak have been in people who were unvaccinated or who had unknown vaccination status, six were found in people who said they have received at least one dose of MMR: two in Texas and four in New Mexico.

New Mexico’s case update Tuesday reported only one additional case since Friday, but local officials said they worry that the numbers will continue to grow
Two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97% effective against the measles virus.

“This is not necessarily a downward trend. It could just be a lull in what is an ongoing outbreak,” said Robert Nott, communications director for the New Mexico Department of Health. “We are not taking it for granted.”

The CDC is on the ground in Texas to help with infection control, including figuring out how to reduce exposures in patient waiting rooms and answering technical questions for health care providers who have never seen measles before, Wells said.

New Mexico has not requested CDC assistance, but the agency has been in communication with the health department, according to local officials.

There have been more than 444 measles cases reported in the United States this year, according to CNN’s tally of cases.

Less than a quarter through 2025, this is already more than all of the cases reported last year. In 2024, there were 285 measles cases reported in the US, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by notorious

Me carefully wording that post:

Suspicious Ned Flanders GIFfrom Suspicious GIFs

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by notorious

There are a lot of people in SW Kansas (and I mean a LOT) that aren't from the local area.......


The vaccines weren't exactly required or even available in the areas they moved from to get here.

These people…. How would you describe their appearance?

Aside from measle-y

[Jewish Rabbi]

Originally Posted by Pablo

These people…. How would you describe their appearance?

Aside from measle-y

Let’s just say you won’t catch them eating Taco Bell

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi

Let’s just say you won’t catch them eating Taco Bell

Do they at least enjoy La Tiara brand taco shells??

[BossChief]

If you can’t tell that all of this is planned theatre, there’s no help for you.

If you don’t have the same feeling as the moment you saw the second plane hit the towers, you need to pay more attention.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by BossChief

If you can’t tell that all of this is planned theatre, there’s no help for you.

If you don’t have the same feeling as the moment you saw the second plane hit the towers, you need to pay more attention.

Ok?

[Titty Meat]

Wear a mask get the vax

[Jewish Rabbi]

Originally Posted by Pablo

Do they at least enjoy La Tiara brand taco shells??

Not any more they don’t.

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by Pablo

Ok?

I think a lot of this is over/under reported based on the business model of the outlet producing the consumable media.

The second the new HHS director took over *all of a sudden* all of these measles cases pop up and planes have tons of *crashes while on the ground* and other instances when it’s OBVIOUSLY driven by a business model driven narrative.

The reason it relates to S11 is that I think everyone knew the first plane hit the first tower immediately. And right then, half of us thought it is likely a statement by an outside force whether that’s terror, business or a military strike.

But when that second plane hit and we knew they were commercial planes….it was confirmed that this could be the start of a war or another terror attack by a terrorist organization outside the US.

None of this is coincidental.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Originally Posted by BossChief

I think a lot of this is over/under reported based on the business model of the outlet producing the consumable media.

The second the new HHS director took over *all of a sudden* all of these measles cases pop up and planes have tons of *crashes while on the ground* and other instances when it’s OBVIOUSLY driven by a business model driven narrative.

The reason it relates to S11 is that I think everyone knew the first plane hit the first tower immediately. And right then, half of us thought it is likely a statement by an outside force whether that’s terror, business or a military strike.

But when that second plane hit and we knew they were commercial planes….it was confirmed that this could be the start of a war or another terror attack by a terrorist organization outside the US.

None of this is coincidental.

I bet you have a ponytail, don’t you?

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

Wear a mask get the vax

I started boosting my boosters with rooster booster from QuikTrip. Highly recommend triple masking if you’re gonna brave one of those petri dish stores though

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by BossChief

If you can’t tell that all of this is planned theatre, there’s no help for you.

If you don’t have the same feeling as the moment you saw the second plane hit the towers, you need to pay more attention.

I think you've fallen off the deep in buddy.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by notorious

There are a lot of people in SW Kansas (and I mean a LOT) that aren't from the local area.......


The vaccines weren't exactly required or even available in the areas they moved from to get here.

It’s probably pretty easy to differentiate between Danish immigrants and native Kansans due to the height differences.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by notorious

Rain is a super spreader.....




of the ladies.

I don't want to brag, but I recently passed through DFW airport.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by wazu

Hadn't heard of this. What year did you get yours? I got one in 87 or 88. There was an outbreak going on and everybody in my junior high got the shot unless their parents said no.

It looks like you're safe. I don't know about this website, but it provides a description similar to what my travel clinic explained. I'm apparently in a narrow age group where some people got a non-permanent vaccination. (My personal vaccination was permanent, so I didn't need to get another one.)

https://www.healthline.com/health-ne...-revaccination

Key excerpts:

Measles vaccines became available in 1963. If you got the standard two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine after 1967, you should be protected against the measles for life.



...

The live version of the vaccine introduced in 1963 appears to have worked well, but there was another version (the “killed” version) that did not. That was also administered between 1963 and 1967.

Therefore, people who either received the killed version of the measles vaccine or don’t know what kind they received in the 1960s should be re-immunized, says the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionTrusted Source (CDC).

...

“Most people born before 1957 were exposed to at least two major measles outbreaks, which confers immunity,” she said. Once a person has had the measles, they are immune for life. Its thse who received the vaccine between 1963 and 1967 are the exception, she noted.